Forum for Science, Industry and Business

Where does battery research stand today?

30.01.2013

International conference from June 13 until June 15, 2013at the Hanse-Wissenschaftskolleg (Institute for Advanced Study, HWK), Lehmkuhlenbusch 4, 27753 Delmenhorst (Germany)

Present day’s and tomorrow’s challenges to battery research are the topics of an international conference “Next Generation Batteries – Materials, Technology, and Applications”, which the Hanse-Wissenschaftskolleg will host in June, 2013.

The list of themes and topics is to begin with materials science and to continue to various technologies and different applications.

Sun, wind, and other sources of so-called renewable energy are to replace oil, coal, natural gas, and also nuclear power. In order to protect our climate or, rather, to slow down climate change, and under the impression of the Fukushima catastrophe, the European Union and the Federal Republic of Germany have set themselves partly different, but by all means ambitious targets.

Due to the trivial fact, that sun and wind are not always available when we need electricity, research and development aiming at efficient electricity storage becomes more and more important, as sun and wind contribute more to electricity production. How and where can electrical power best be stored in batteries, and which battery is the best for different requirements, a mobile one, for example in an electric vehicle or, completely different, a stationary one?

For approximately 60 participants this will be an opportunity to discuss intensivley with these experts and to learn more about their current research; it will also be an opportunity to present the participants own work, be it in presentations or posters. Detailed conference and registration information can be found here: http://www.h-w-k.de/index.php?batteries.

Cellulose obtained from wood has amazing material properties. Empa researchers are now equipping the biodegradable material with additional functionalities to produce implants for cartilage diseases using 3D printing.

It all starts with an ear. Empa researcher Michael Hausmann removes the object shaped like a human ear from the 3D printer and explains:

The phenomenon of so-called superlubricity is known, but so far the explanation at the atomic level has been missing: for example, how does extremely low friction occur in bearings? Researchers from the Fraunhofer Institutes IWM and IWS jointly deciphered a universal mechanism of superlubricity for certain diamond-like carbon layers in combination with organic lubricants. Based on this knowledge, it is now possible to formulate design rules for supra lubricating layer-lubricant combinations. The results are presented in an article in Nature Communications, volume 10.

One of the most important prerequisites for sustainable and environmentally friendly mobility is minimizing friction. Research and industry have been dedicated...